According to a recent patent application by Apple, the company is working on methods to allow devices like iPod to push their graphical user interfaces to accessory devices for the purpose of controlling the media devices remotely. In the patent application Apple says:

Existing remote GUIs are defined and controlled by the remote control device, and consequently, they may bear little resemblance to a GUI supplied by the portable media device (such as browsing or searching a database, adjusting playback settings, etc.) may be unavailable or difficult to find. Thus, a user may not be able to perform desired functions. Further, GUIs provided for the same portable media device by different remote control devices might be quite different, and the user who connects a portable media device to different accessories with remote control may find the inconsistencies frustrating.

To solve this problem, Apple proposes methods to push media device UI on to the remote control device. Apple describes that solution as:

The portable media device can provide the accessory with an image to be displayed on the video screen; the image can include various user interface elements that can resemble or replicate a “native” GUI provided directly on the portable media device. The accessory can send information to the portable media device indicative of a user action taken in response to the displayed image; such information can indicate, for example, that a particular button was pressed or that a particular portion of a touch-sensitive display screen was touched by the user. The portable media device can process this input to identify that action requested by the user and take the appropriate action. The action may include providing to the accessory an updated GUI image to be displayed, where the updated GUI image reflects the user action.

This is one patent that Apple should adopt as soon as possible in their devices. Just imagine how easy and nice it would be if you got iPod user interface on your car’s audio system when you connected your iPod to the system, rather than some badly put together interface for iPod provided by the audio system manufacturer.
[Via MacRumors]